Smart's new deal coming up for approval

Kirby SmartTUSCALOOSA -- How much money was defensive coordinator Kirby Smart offered when he decided to stay on Alabama coach Nick Saban's staff?

That dollar figure should come out soon. The compensation committee of the board of trustees of the University of Alabama System will meet via teleconference Tuesday morning to consider the contracts of four coaches: Smart, new assistant football coach Jeremy Pruitt, baseball coach Mitch Gaspard and women's basketball coach Wendell Hudson.

If approved by the compensation committee, the contracts then must be approved later by the entire board.

Smart turned down a lucrative offer to return to his alma mater, the University of Georgia, as defensive coordinator last month. There was talk of Georgia doubling his salary. Then there was talk of Alabama matching Georgia's offer to get Smart to stay.

Smart, who won the 2009 Frank Broyles Award that goes annually to the nation's top assistant coach, was paid $432,000 in 2009. That broke down to $360,000 in salary and $72,000 in bonuses for the Tide winning the Southeastern Conference Championship Game and reaching a BCS game. Alabama won the national championship on Jan. 7, defeating Texas 37-21 in the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, Calif.

Smart's current contract calls for a salary of $375,000 this year and $390,000 in 2011. A year ago, all of Saban's assistant coaches received raises. Smart received a salary increase of $20,000 for 2009-10.

Smart and offensive coordinator Jim McElwain have been paid at the same rate, but they were not the highest-paid assistant coaches last year. Offensive line coach Joe Pendry's salary for 2009-10 was $390,000.

Pruitt, a former assistant coach at Hoover High School and a former Alabama player, was promoted from a director of player development position to a full-time assistant coach's spot on the staff after inside linebacker coach James Willis left last month to become the defensive coordinator at Texas Tech.